As November is coming to an end and December is right around the corner, the kitchen becomes the show stopper with a recipe in one hand and a sponge in the other. The battles in the kitchen begin on Thanksgiving. The big day is almost here, with a countdown to a table of food, memories, and family.
Leading up to Thanksgiving, the fridge is probably a mess, so in order to make the day go by more easily and less stressfully, some cleaning might want to be needed. According to Southern Living’s Melinda Salchert, cleaning out the fridge is “a shortcut that makes Thanksgiving cleanup a breeze and is really not that hard.” It avoids stressful situations, such as not having enough room to store all the food. Another way to reduce stress is by organizing your Tupperware. Putting everything back in its place will help you stay prepared for the big day!
While getting kids involved might add some stress, it can also make the job go faster and create lasting memories along the way. Salchert says helpers can help clean and make the job so much easier and faster. Even the smallest jobs help the biggest way, like decorating the table and setting napkins, spoons, and forks down. Kids can even call out what is needed for cleaning or cooking, or they can help taste-test food items. By the time dinner is ready and the kitchen is cleaned, the stress melts away, and realizing that the mess does not matter, it is the memories that count.
It is not just kids who can help; everyone can, no matter their age. Everyone can pitch in with the small things. After the meal, kids and adults can wipe down the tables, wash the dishes, throw away trash, and much more. Adults can prepare the food and help cook it. Salchert provided a backstory on what her dinner looks like. “My sister and I always send our mom out of the kitchen after dinner so we can finish the dishes ourselves to give her a break. We also put all of the leftover food in the tupperware containers and cleaned my mom’s plates.”
In a student survey among Lewis Cass Jr./Sr. High about whether they preferred cooking or cleaning the Thanksgiving meal, 154 students said they preferred to cook, with only 19 saying they preferred to clean up after dinner. Personally, I do not like cleaning. I am not the best at cooking, but I do try my best in the kitchen.
In the end, it does not matter if you cook, clean, or make a mess. It is the memories that count and the fun along the way. Thanksgiving is about spending time with the people you love and giving thanks for a wonderful life full of love. Enjoy making the memories, either cooking or cleaning. In conclusion, the size of the mess does not matter as long as the love, laughter, and memories are bigger.
